2018 California Wildfire Coverage

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Aug 14, 2018

On Sunday, August 12, U.S. Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke and United States Bureau of Reclamation Commissioner Brenda Burman took a tour of neighborhoods destroyed by the Carr fire. The pair saw firsthand the Whiskeytown National Recreation Area, which is jointly owned by the National Park Service and USBR. Much of Whiskeytown was severely damaged, however maintenance crews are working to restore power and sewage to the site for people to again access the lake.

Secretary Zinke also drove and walked through a small community west of Redding where several employees working regionally for his department have lost their homes. The Secretary stopped to talk with families.

On Monday, Secretary Zinke is scheduled to participate in a series of briefings with the United States Department of Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue. Local officials and firefighters arel also expected to be a part of the meetings.

MENDOCINO COMPLEX FIRE

The battle to contain the largest of the two fires in the three-county Mendocino Complex continues.

Cal Fire says the Ranch Fire grew by about 5,000 acres overnight to 305,000 and containment remained at 68%. The smaller River Fire was declared 100% contained yesterday at 49,000 acres, for a combined 354,000 acres and 265 structures in the entire Complex.

The Ranch Fire also claimed its first firefighter fatality on the front lines yesterday. The City of Draper identified the Utah firefighter as Battalion Chief Matthew Burchett. He was critically injured and later died in the hospital.

Authorities in California are not giving any specific details about what happened to Burchett while he was on the front lines. Five other firefighters deployed to California from Draper will be returning home soon.

FERGUSON FIRE (MARIPOSA COUNTY)

The Ferguson Fire, which started on July 13 in and around Yosemite National Park is 86% contained as of Saturday.

The fire has killed two firefighters and injured 14 others and has burned a total of 96,606acresin the Sierra National Forest and ten structures.

YOSEMITE REOPENED

The State Route-140 entrance to Yosemite National Park via Mariposa County is now open after being closed due to wildfire.

Yosemite Valley and its popular tourist spots are reopening today. Wawona and Mariposa Grove reopened yesterday. Park rangers say the air quality has significantly improved over the past two weeks.

You can make donations to help the victims of the Ferguson Fire by clicking here.

Wawona Rd (Hwy 41) between Wawona and Yosemite Valley, Glacier Point Road, and Merced Grove. Yosemite Valley is only accessible by entering the park via Highways 140 and 120.

Thursday, August 9, U.S. Senator Kamala D. Harris toured an evacuation center in Lake County with local leaders, emergency management officials, and evacuees who have been impacted by the Mendocino Complex Fire.

Harris also visited the CAL FIRE Middletown Fire Station to receive a briefing on the current response efforts and ongoing concerns this fire season from local fire fighters and first responders.

CARR FIRE (SHASTA COUNTY)

State Superintendent of Public School Instruction Tom Torlakson will be in the North State today to visit Shasta County public schools affected by the Carr Fire.

Containment on the three-week-old Carr Fire grew overnight to 65%, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection said Tuesday morning.

The fire has now burned 207,162 acres, up slightly from 206,816 acres Monday evening.

Eight people have been killed, including three firefighters since it started July 23rd when a car blew a tire.